Queen Elizabethhas shared her first solo statement since the death of her husband of 73 years,Prince Philip.
The 94-year-old monarch extended her sympathy and support to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a Commonwealth nation, following a series of volcanic eruptions.
While statements of this kind typically start with “The Duke of Edinburgh and I,” this is the first such message to be sent following Philip’s death on April 9 at the age of 99 that didn’t include her husband.
She concluded, “My prayers will remain with the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines at this very difficult time.”
Queen Elizabethhas not yet addressedPrince Philip’s death with the public (aside from a statement released on her behalf announcing his death), but many family members have shared statements praising Philip’s dedication to the monarch, the country and the Commonwealth.
The day afterPrince Philip’s death, the Queen’s daughter-in-lawSophie, Countess of Wessextearfully told people gathered outside Windsor Castle that “the Queen has been amazing.”
A close royal insider adds, “She will never abdicate because of duty and honor and public service is so deep in her, as it was for him.”
Queen Elizabeth.STEVE REIGATE/POOL/AFP via Getty
The Queenresumed her royal dutiesjust days after Philip’s death, hosting a retirement ceremony Tuesday at Windsor Castle in honor of Earl Peel who stepped down as Lord Chamberlain a week before Prince Philip died, according to theCourt Circular.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
“She fell in love, and she never looked at anyone else,” biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story.
The then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip on their wedding day.Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty
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The two exchanged countless letters while Philip served in the Royal Navy during World War II. They married after a year-long courtship on Nov. 20, 1947, an occasion that called for national celebration following the devastating war.
“There had been grayness and austerity, and then to have this golden coach and crowds made it exciting,” Lady Pamela, the daughter of Philip’s uncle Lord Mountbatten and a longtime lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth who served as a bridesmaid, previously told PEOPLE.
source: people.com
